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Times’ super 7 Records through Wednesday. 1. Wiregrass Ranch (5-0, 3-0): The Bulls added a win at Sickles to stay at the top of the talent-heavy Class 7A, District 8. 2. Hernando (6-0, 4-0): The Leopards’ comeback 6-4 win against Springstead showed why they’re among the North Suncoast’s top teams. ...Read more

SPRING HILL — Tuesday night’s game showed why Hernando coach Tim Sims believes there is something special about this particular Leopards team. Hernando maintained its undefeated record with a 6-4 victory over Springstead despite being only one strike away from its first loss. “This group likes playing baseball,” Sims said. ...Read more

BROOKSVILLE — Each of the past four seasons, Hernando has reached at least the region final, including last year when the Leopards (24-6) won a third Class 5A, District 7 crown in four years on the shoulders of ace starter Brandon Lawson and slugging shortstop Christian Arroyo. Both Lawson and ...Read more

Hernando SS Christian Arroyo and Durant ace Tyler Danish continue to bring in accolades. Both were named first-team All-Americans by Baseball America on Tuesday. Arroyo, the Times’ all-Suncoast player of the year, ranked among the state’s leaders with 11 home runs while batting .524 and knocking in 35 runs during the Leopards’ ...Read more

Two weeks after giving the salutatorian speech at his high school graduation and 12 days after making Hernando County history, Christian Arroyo is headed to the pros. The Hernando shortstop signed with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, bypassing a scholarship at Florida to begin a professional career with the ...Read more

Player of the Year: Christian Arroyo, Sr., Hernando If MLB draft gurus were surprised Hernando shortstop Christian Arroyo flew off the board in the first round, few in Brooksville were. • “The kid’s definitely got it all going on,” Leopards teammate and USF signee Brandon Lawson said. Arroyo was the ...Read more

Pitcher of the year: Brandon Lawson, Sr., Hernando Why we picked him: Lawson had a statistically dominant season on the North Suncoast’s top team to edge Mitchell’s Cobi Johnson and a loaded group of pitchers for repeat honors. The 6-foot-2 right-hander posted a 0.27 ERA — one of the lowest ...Read more

Tampa Bay’s rich tradition of elite prep baseball prospects stretched all the way to Brooksville on Thursday night. Hernando shortstop Christian Arroyo became the first high school player in Hernando County history to be drafted in the first round when the San Francisco Giants picked him 25th overall in the ...Read more

Despite Christian Arroyo’s potential and work ethic, questions swirled about the Hernando High School shortstop last fall. The University of Florida signee had the tools — he was the most valuable player of the United States’ gold medal-winning under-18 team at September’s world championships in Korea. But his junior season ...Read more

One way or another, the stage will soon become a lot bigger and the spotlight will get a little brighter for Nick Eicholtz. After dominating small-school competition this spring, the Cambridge Christian right-hander projects as one of the bay area’s top MLB draft prospects this week. Eicholtz will then choose ...Read more

TAMPA — The best season in Mitchell history ended Friday night against one of the best prep pitchers in the country. King ace and Florida signee Brett Morales struck out a school-record 17 batters to lead his Lions to a 4-1 home victory in the Class 6A region final. “What ...Read more

Region baseball: Hernando edition Coming Thursday: A closer look at Wiregrass Ranch and Mitchell 5A: Hernando (24-5) vs. St. Johns Creekside (21-10) Skinny: The loaded Leopards have four college signees and continued their reign as the North Suncoast’s top program by clinching their fourth consecutive trip to the region final ...Read more

LUTZ — Wiregrass Ranch junior Zach Drury had the utmost respect for nationally ranked Steinbrenner before he took the mound Tuesday night. Two hours later, Warriors coach John Crumbley thought just as highly of Drury, whose two-hit shutout led the Bulls to a stunning 4-0 victory in the Class 7A ...Read more

Hernando SS and Florida commit Christian Arroyo has been named the District 10 MVP by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, Leopards coach Tim Sims said Monday. Arroyo has brought a string of pro scouts to Brooksville. He ranks among Tampa Bay’s top talents with a .515 batting average, 10 home ...Read more

BROOKSVILLE — Hernando senior Brandon Lawson didn’t need to overwhelm hitters in Thursday’s duel between North Suncoast aces. He only needed to avoid mistakes and let an opportunistic offense and tight defense do the rest. The USF signee followed his script, allowing only three hits and no walks in the ...Read more